The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-09
oprORTTN iTIES ARE ANGEL VISITS.

angels 10 us. We know not wiIat we 10 when
we neglect them. or fail 10 iInlr"N" Them ~
il right here that so many NOuug men make
Tho mistake that proves fatal they neglect
their opportunities I-tlav. bat th"y expect Ia
improve them tu-!norrnw: they neglect them
this year, bnt thCy are determined 10 tHfn
over Il new leaf ani do better next. But
while they delay, precious time slips by never
to hr recalled.
! "T0-mOrrow and Tomorrow AMI tomorrow
CrccpS in this petty ::lcc from day tn day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
and thus neglected opportunities lie scattered
along th" track OF their barren lie as the
bones Of pcrishrd animals and ni"!I along :h"
caravans track in the desert. Neglect be-
comes habit. habit becomes nature; and the
i:ircst opportunities thcn present themselves
in vain. ,
II is by granting opportunities TO mon that
! God demonstrates 10 thc world the worth OF
Sumc and the wOrthi"SSnrSS Of others, S:ncr
| nuthinr shows more plainly the Siu.f that we
arc made of than the minnrr in which we
seize upon and turn to account our Gnnurtu-
nitinS. Cesar showed the Stnif that n" was
made Of by regarding i; an opportunity for
I writing his commentaries when lie WI" rIdrg
: IN his carriage ut the rat" Of Il hundred miles
! Il day. over countries with0ut roads and over
! rivers without hrIl%rS. Elihu nurrit!, 0"r q:
oar own cnuntrymrn, showed The S:uH that
he WAS maric Of by learning: no less ;h;'n forty
languages white working III the Trade oi :.
Blacksmith. illustrating in this way the very
truth Of the poet words,
'Thus at tho Gaming forge Of life
| Cur fortunes mast h" wrought:
Thus on lis sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought
DANGER INCIDENT TO THovG!GTLESsNEsS.
Mach of The neglect oc opportunities is no
doubt due 70 thou.h,lcsSncS>. Bui tic gu"S-
tiuu i. Is the thoI"hticSSn"SS "Nc!lS"hi"? ?
WIZ the opportunities 10 any The more lik"'y
To cnn" back Oh ihIt a"r"ant: When III"
SMALLPOX Is raging in the city, does not lie
who j. too :hnu.c!ItlrSS 20 Ec vl;r:na!"fi die
Just as readily nS lie who says. viii not hr
lvnc"nntcG? When The vessel IS %onS down
bCnrath the waves, does not he who is ton
thoushtlcSS 10 put on the 'il"-2rrS"rv"r sink
irSt :S deep ~ he who says. will not pat on
the lift'-.rrSrrvCr? When life. I"ci@htcd with
precious opportunities, is S,ilH!n% by, does
not h" who is too tlIruglit!c>S To improve
HES" opportunities Suiir i,lSt aS much loss rs
he who SAYS. will not improve them: TIL"
question. then. with which | would !iEc 1"
search your very hearts S not so rnGrh. Why
do you nrGicr! your opportunities" Eat il :S
ihr simple ono. DO ynu H"Ei"''t them" tn
| this pr:nt nrTiH.t III" Ia rod E"tl an extract
irOIn JOHN i.us;il The greatest living write"
o. F.ngi!.i prose, and an earnest, Christian
man:
.riIorGHrLfI;xESS IN Yo;'TV.-!n gcr"r-
III. have 10 Patience with p"nu!c who talk
about the IL nuu!it! i SSa'SS ui youth tnlai-
Gently. hai infinitely rather hear al
:hnughti"SS oh az" and inGul"cn"c due tu
that. When Il man has d"nc his work. ana
mo.i,in2 can nnywry he materially altered III
]
"usr can you find fer wiltu!nrsS Of Thought nj
ia" very time EiI":! ever: crisis nf til" tiIrc
rnrtun" lE'n!.S On your decisions? EnaIh
lhuu.h:!c:;S! When ail til" happiness Of his
home forever drpcn,S on III" chances or In"
r;,>*ionS of an hour! y youth thOrShilcs*. !.
T'hra ihr c;t"ccr of all his days depends on
tie onn0rtuu!lv Of Il moment! y youth
thoughilc>>! When his every act j. q ipu:G'!-
sion stone Of future crndu". AMI every in!;l:-
ination II fountain nf life or death. Ec
;hoa"hti"*S III ANY after years Father than
lnnw-thou:h. indeed. there iS only one piac"
where 4 man may br nD,ly thou"EtirSS-hiS
dca i!-l'Cd. No thinking should ever be left
to h" done there
LIFE TIE GRAND OPPORTUNITY OF poISG
GOOD.
Life itself OUGHT TO he viewed rs one grand
oDDDrilnitr Of doing gnOl to oilers. aS well
:rS OF getting good lor ourselves. ThiS was the
'hpa@ht nf :'iius, the Roman EMPEROR when
m exclaimed ai the c.oSc n! day on whirlI
hc remembered duing no S}'rc:a :"i "l Snnl-
ness "Niv friends. | have lost Il day." The
glory OF Titus aS the antIlnr al! $i:ch Si'ni-
men, rr!p>"S The glory ~; titus. II" The g'''i-
era! who lee, his cnn!urrnG l""ionS to tn" cap
! iure o: JrruSil2 2"Hl. aud hun5lrd her PRIDE
AMI Err beauty in the dust.
Let NJ" refer ruii ia aGrthcr motto. aS fninil-
lar AZ III" one" "i which har"Hl"cHdr S;"k"n;
ana II j. worthy "f :'"ia@ set IN - DIAMOND :
! i've for Your country and your (ioL That :
the rIci!t view t1 take nf li:'--:t lane 10 y"
spent in the service OF your country anh Your
! God, "ni NOT Ia 10" washed in Stl'ii way mat
at the las: your whole c:T'"'r li'ry b" &umn"l
up in the Que iatftl Scmt"Dr" which III" mystic
riUuS hand traced u;rnn III" pula'r walls of
Hahylnn'S King. "Mrighrd in the balance
and found wanting.
SIMPLE TGIHGs BRING ..GGCr GREAT EE-
SUITS.
! Closely c0nncrtod with ,h" subject of cpnOr.
! ;uniiicS is another tTu:n 10 which | wish tn
cali attention. and that is IN" danger of un-
dcrra!Ui!I li:iic things in their Influence up
on us. S.laHcc and pn"ahuXiiftl as It may
S""n, the least things arc Oxen The greatest.
there arc Times Wnrn II liniHc:it Is Wnrth Il
! life: wh"! Il single decision i"t"rE mes ihr
! ,;t" 0f an empire: w!Icn tu" SUI! sinai! vnr
! is more sublime Than til" hnw.iii- of ,ilr tci!i-
pest ~ the T,.lirI OF thunrci.
! Says Nic!Gr Hugo, ''l!&d il not rainrd on the
nigi!t uf the Eta of .Iul:r. l"I5 tIi. iu!ur. al
i.urOrr wun'd have been rhIi::c:i. That NH-
t"rlou S!'0ull y" t.3c "li;l % tl<irri:H. ir'vi-
d"mcr nrrird only li!r" r;iim: H"d an mlI>c;;-
Son;,hlc cloud crossing llir %iiv "u.:i'"u for III"
overthrow u! 4 world. Nap"i.nn a"'iil"ry
could not nalurU.rcu unt!l lilr around .i.,n sc.
uuirTl some iirmmrSS: and this cave tIn'" iOl
thc German allies of ellington 10 arrit".
and Nap"l. on fate was scaled. might say
that the ii!"rii"S Ni!r"h We enjoy as ir,"
Americans owe ii:rir Gri":n t"a wicked wiin
. OF one %! tiI' laos! cruel lyr!n:S who rr"F
wore th"rr"wn al En@iand. Had Henry VIII
not wished in his wiviirI..rSS iU divorce ta:!!.
"rin", in "r;"t that h" ioi%hi naIry Ann"
Bnl"yn, hr wnGld uoi !avc :.r''li:n with IT,"
Pnp' of !;0n!": in: iir WAS I Iaiii.ial Catholic
at i:ISi, 81 much -, That - was called by he
Pope "ibrii'ndcr Of tn" fajt'." Had hr not
brro!n" an enemy ni In" pDT, he wDu!d nG:
haze laid lhr innntt:tt!"n Of that t'hGrc!
which was rlb"c i"liy ror:irncd in iii" dnNs I"
Elizabeth and llnOwn as The Church of Eng
laHh. Had this chnrch not been or:'aTiZ Il
with its oath Of %t!!T"!i;.cy ANA is "i!id r"
quir"in"ntS of rrni,r.mIty in us::. ,hr !:t",i
OF Common Prayer I!id Wc'triu:: III" priest ~
vc$;n'iItS. no i'Ur:tan$ wuUi have arisen IL
"r:!St -" tyranny "f i:li2ahcih and ia" stu
arts. T!vr" WnEid have been no cNilt"S Iul
c'ni>crn"" AMI Tor lh"riy'S <nI;r would l!Iv'
!; i"'! a":n*S Ia" ocean with II hur:!ing nair'd %
tyranny IN ,hcir breast and With a. determine
all ShuI!d be free.
SMALL Things OFTEN TIE TURNING POINT
IL LIFE.
1t is equally true in the history Of inhivid
uS tiia: til" wiio,r current ui iiI"i" uXi<lrur,
j. changed hy some event that they th"u"h
too tri.iu% to hc NOT !c,1l or hy Tn" n,,,irC.; -
some little duty that they thought too i,lSi..
niii":nt 10 b' binding. The very event Ol
duty overlooked may hr inst one - ihns" Iii;
tie events o. u!r of ,hUS' little duties whici
lie 1T the turning points of .!,'; for it is tgu,
that
80 ever man and nation comes the moment
to decide.
In the &.rii" of Truth with Eal*chuod, for tho
yOuI or evil side.
.lnd tn" choice goes hy forever 'twixt tha
darkness ANA that light.
t If in som" WAY we could ret hcilind thr
scenes. So hS 10 observe the Influences HAT ar,
III wOri; in siItprug hTnran ''lE:r:u'i"r and d.,
{ tiny, such Il Si"ht wum!h be presented to on
eyes as, no doubt, w"iid ina%' uS ci: ujt it
a!la2rncnt. if not in terror. ''.'i'r:;' il l.
great ard no small Her" va mia!It -" .
+ noble and manly youth. IL" pride am. III,
joy Of his parents, Just stepping l"" the ii'S
time across thG tArcs!ivI u Il st!yJ!l, !!Vt {